Strong Plate Price in Tokyo

Plate steel market price is firm at around 82,000 yen per tonne for standard sized product with 19 millimeters thick, 5 feet width and 10 feet length around Tokyo. Dealers’ shipment maintains slow. The orders for building construction seem increasing. However, local small and middle shearing processors are receiving fewer orders. Steel plate demand keeps strong for large contracts such for shipbuilding, construction machine or industrial machine. The supply is expected to become even tighter in the second half of fiscal 2007 started October compared with the first half year.Nippon Steel announced in October the firm raises the steel plate selling price by 3,000 yen per tonne. Nakayama Steel Works also announced hike by 5,000 yen per tonne from October. Dealers increased the reselling price by 2,000 yen per tonne for standard sized products in October to follow the makers’ hike. Some dealers aim to pass an increasing cost on the reselling price of cut sheet as well. However, the hike would not be approved easily by the users when the market demand is stagnant.